Here are the top outfielders in Box-Toppers points (BTP) over the past season (2017), the past two seasons (2016-17), the past six seasons (2012-17) and “all-time”—the past 23 seasons (since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began). For the most recent seasons, the top 10 outfielders in each league are shown. For the “all-time” rankings, the top 10 overall outfielders (including retired players) are shown at left and the top 10 active outfielders in career Box-Toppers points are shown at right. Some players played more than one position, but even if their primary position was not catcher, they are listed here.

Manny Ramirez has the most Box-Toppers points of any outfielder since tracking began in 1995.

Ramirez, who played from 1993 to 2011, primarily for the Red Sox, Indians and Dodgers, but also for the White Sox and Rays, earned 167.2 Box-Toppers points from 1995 to his last game played in 2011.

That puts Ramirez 14.0 Box-Toppers points ahead of the second-place outfielder since 1995, Barry Bonds (153.2 points). However, if Bonds entire career had been tracked, he would have been more than 50 Box-Toppers points ahead of any the 10 outfielders on the career “all-time” list.

Meanwhile, Matt Holliday, who played for the Yankees in 2017, leads all active outfielders in career Box-Toppers points (100.8), which ranks ninth among all outfielders since Box-Toppers tracking began in 1995.

The chart above shows the top 10 outfielders over several time frames—over the past season (2017), the past two seasons (2016-17), the past six seasons (2012-17) and “all-time”—the past 23 seasons (since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began). For the most recent seasons, the top 10 outfielders in each league are shown. For the “all-time” rankings, the top 10 overall outfielders (including retired players) are shown at left and the top 10 active outfielders in career Box-Toppers points are shown at right.

While Ramirez ranks first in career Box-Toppers points since 1995, Bonds would actually have more career Box-Toppers points if his entire career from 1986 were tracked. Rough projections put his career total at about 230 Box-Toppers points and a dominant lead over the top 10 outfielders currently on the “all-time” list.

Bonds’ lead would dominate even if other outfielders with experience prior to 1995 had their Box-Toppers point totals similarly projected. The five other outfielders on the list who played prior to 1995 are Ramirez, Gary Sheffield, Ken Griffey Jr., Larry Walker and Sammy Sosa. Here is how they would rank based on projected Box-Toppers points:

Bonds 230

Ramirez 173

Sheffield 155

Griffey 140

Walker 135

Sosa 135

Vladimir Guerrero 128.3

Torii Hunter 115.9

Lance Berkman 108.1

Matt Holliday 100.8

The first six players on the list include projected career Box-Toppers point totals. The outfielders ranked seventh through 10th all played in 1995 or later, so their entire careers were tracked by Box-Toppers and the numbers are actual career point totals.

The top three players on the projected points list are all tainted by baseball’s performance enhancing drug scandal. All put up Hall of Fame numbers and all have not been voted into the Hall mainly due to the drug taint. Griffey, the fourth-ranked outfielder based on projected points, was voted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2016.

Vladimir Guerrero, who ranks third among all outfielders in Box-Toppers points since 1995, was voted into the Hall of Fame in January and will be inducted this summer. While he is Box-Toppers’ highest-ranked outfielder to be inducted to the Hall, he actually ranks below another Hall inductee, Griffey, based on projected Box-Toppers points.

At the end of the 2016 season, Carlos Beltran ranked first among active outfielders in career Box-Toppers points. And while Beltran remained active in 2017, playing for the Astros, he played mainly as a designated hitter, lost his status as an outfielder and so is not listed here. However, because Beltran retired at the end of 2017, he will be listed at the position he primarily played in his career—centerfield. That means moving forward, Beltran, with 108.6 career Box-Toppers points, will be listed in seventh place among all outfielders in career points since 1995.

While Matt Holliday is listed as the leader among active outfielders in career Box-Toppers points, he barely qualified to be listed at outfield in 2017. In fact, he actually played no outfield in 2017—he played in 105 games during the season with 90 at designated hitter and eight at first base. He earned Box-Toppers Player of the Game honors only twice during the season, once on April 28 at DH and once on May 8 at first base. Both times he earned AL Batter of the Day honors, worth 1.5 Box-Toppers points each, giving him 3.0 Box-Toppers points for the season. However, Box-Toppers still lists Holliday as an outfielder since he earned points there in 2016 and since he did not earn enough Player of the Game honors to firmly establish himself at any other position.

Holliday is primarily listed as a designated hitter and ranks third among active players at that position. Holliday is also listed at first base, since he earned Player of the Game honors twice there in his career (both during the previous two seasons), though he has only played there 18 games in his 1,716-game career. Still, he also ranks second among active first basemen in career Box-Toppers points, behind Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers (146.9).

Were Holliday to retire, he would be listed at the position he played the majority of his career—left field.

Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins leads all outfielders in Box-Toppers points over the past season (14.2 in 2017) and past two seasons (20.7 over 2016-17). Stanton ranks second among National League outfielders over the past six seasons (44.9 from 2012-17). Stanton was traded to the Yankees in the offseason, moving to the American League.

Rookie Aaron Judge of the Yankees led AL outfielders in Box-Toppers points over the past season (11.2 in 2017). And though he earned no points in 2016, Judge still ranks ninth among AL outfielders over the past two seasons (11.2 over 2016-17).

Jay Bruce, who finished 2017 with the Indians, leads AL outfielders over the past two seasons (18.5 over 2016-17). Bruce ranks second among AL outfielders over the past season (10.0 in 2017), fifth among AL outfielders over the past six seasons (35.7 from 2012-17) and fourth in career points among active outfielders (68.8). Bruce is returning to the NL and the Mets in 2018, the team with whom he began the 2017 season. (And Bruce is listed as an AL outfielder because he finished 2017 with the Indians, even though he only played a couple of months there and spent the entire rest of his career with NL teams.)

Mike Trout of the Angels all outfielders in Box-Toppers points over the past six seasons (52.5 from 2012-17) and ranks second among AL outfielders over the past two seasons (17.5 from 2016-17). However, Trout only had 5.0 Box-Toppers points in 2017 and ranked outside the top 10 AL outfielders for the season. Also, Trout’s 54.0 career Box-Toppers points ranks 12th among active outfielders, just 1.7 points behind Hunter Pence of the Giants, who is 10th place on that list.

Andrew McCutchen, who played for the Pirates in 2017, led NL outfielders in Box-Toppers points over the past six seasons (47.5 from 2012-17). He also ranked third among NL outfielders over the past season (9.0 in 2017), second among NL outfielders over the past two seasons (16.0 over 2016-17) and eighth in career points among active outfielders (62.9). McCutchen will stay in the NL in 2018, but will play for the Giants.

Of the 10 outfielders with the most career Box-Toppers points since 1995, only Holliday was active at the close of 2017. However, Holliday, 38, is listed as a free agent, though he has said he wants to continue playing in 2018.

All 10 of active outfielders with the most career Box-Toppers points earned points during 2017. Fourth-ranked Bruce earned the most with 10.0. Fifth-ranked Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays earned the fewest with 2.5.

About Box-Toppers—Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. In regular season games, players earn 1.0 Box-Toppers point for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.

Related Box-Toppers High by Position posts showing Box-Toppers points leaders by position over several time frames—past season (2017), past two seasons (2016-17), past six seasons (2012-17) and “all-time” (since 1995, when Box-Toppers tracking began):

First base: Miguel Cabrera leads all-time (career Box-Toppers points since 1995). He also leads all active first basemen in career points and leads all first basemen over the past six seasons. Anthony Rizzo leads past season.

Overall: Johnson leads all players in Box-Toppers points since 1995. Kershaw leads active players in career points and also leads all players over the past six seasons. Chris Sale led players in 2017. Max Scherzer leads players over the past two seasons.

Box-Toppers

Tracking who most helps their teams win the most games, based on box score stats. A method to measure & compare baseball's top players.

Box-Toppers tracks who most helps their team win the most games. Using standard box score statistics, Box-Toppers uses a simple formula to determine a Player of the Game for each Major League Baseball game played. That player is the person who contributed most to his team’s win. Players earn Box-Toppers points for being named Player of the Game and can earn bonus points for being Player of the Day or top player or batter in their league for the day.